Reversible ratchet wrenches are utilized to selectively apply torque in either direction to tighten or loosen a nut or a bolt head. A head of the wrench conventionally includes a driving lug that is connected to a socket which engages the nut or bolt head. Application of a force to a handle of the wrench pivots the head to rotatively drive the socket in one direction, while application of a force in the opposite direction produces a ratcheting that permits the torquing to be performed in a stroking manner without disengagement of the socket from the nut or bolt head.
Conventional reversible ratchet wrenches include a rotatable driver on which the driving lug is provided to drive the socket. A pawl mounted on the head engages teeth of the driver to prevent rotation of the driver in one direction while permitting rotation thereof in the other direction by a ratcheting operation. Conventionally the driver and the pawl include teeth that are located between spaced portions of the wrench such that the teeth do not extend the full extent between oppositely facing surfaces of the head. It is possible to provide the teeth with greater lengths in order to increase the torque which can be applied through the pawl and driver teeth, but such an increase is limited by the fact that the head cannot be made too large or it will not be able to fit into confined locations.
Most reversible ratchet wrenches have a pawl which is mounted by a pin for pivotal movement to provide the selective locking thereof against rotation in one direction and ratcheting thereof in the other direction. However, such pawls have also previously been slidably mounted on a slideway such that rectilinear pawl movement reverses the directions in which the locking and ratcheting take place.
Conventional reversible ratchet wrenches are usually somewhat complex and require a head having a counterbored opening with annular recesses in order to receive and rotatably support the driver with the driving lug thereof projecting outwardly from the head. Such counterbored and recessed openings are relatively expensive to machine and thus add to the cost of the wrench.
Reversible ratchet wrenches of the type discussed above and other similar wrenches are disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,686,446; 2,701,977; 2,720,127; 2,725,772; 2,943,523; 2,957,377; 2,978,081; 3,096,659; 3,140,625; 3,145,594; 3,233,481; 3,369,416; 3,724,298; 3,754,486; 3,967,514; and 4,147,076.